Fiat Chrysler to recall 1.8m trucks to fix shifter issue

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said on Thursday it would recall about 1.8 million Ram trucks in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and some other markets to fix a function that prevents occupants from inadvertently moving the shifter out of the “park” position.
The recall applies to several Ram models from the 2009 to 2017 model years with shifters mounted in the steering column. It does not apply to vehicles with rotary dial or floor-mounted shifters. And it does not apply to 2017 trucks built after Dec. 31, 2016.
FCA said it is aware of “seven potentially related injuries and a small number of potentially related accidents.” “An FCA US review of field data led to the discovery that Brake Transmission Shift Interlock (BTSI) may not function properly if subject to specific high-temperature conditions for prolonged periods,” FCA said in a statement. “The conditions are consistent with those that occur when there is protracted brake-pedal application while a vehicle is idling in park.
“If BTSI becomes disabled, a vehicle’s shifter may be moved out of park without brake-pedal application, or the presence of a key in the ignition. In such circumstances, a vehicle may exhibit inadvertent movement — if its parking brake has not been set.”
About 1.48 million vehicles are being recalled in the U.S. along with another 249,520 units in Canada.
“FCA US will restore BTSI function in the vehicles subject to this recall,” Tom McCarthy, FCA’s head of safety compliance and product analysis, said in the statement. “Nevertheless, as always, we urge customers to use their parking brakes, as recommended, and to ensure that child occupants are not left unattended.”

Hyundai posts strong April 2018 global sales

Hyundai Motor Company, South Korea’s largest automaker and No.1 Selling Korean automaker in the world, has announced its global sales results for April 2018, posting a total of 391,197 units sold, up 11.1 per cent from a year earlier.

The highest growth since December 2014 was led by strong sales of new SUV models – the all-new Santa Fe and Kona – while a recent sales rebound in the Chinese market also largely contributed to the growth.

Sales in overseas markets totaled 327,409 units, representing an increase of 12.2 per cent year-over-year. Sales increased significantly as the company’s popular subcompact SUV Kona expanded to key markets and demand remained strong in emerging markets such as Brazil, Russia and India.

Sales in the Korean market increased by 5.7 per cent compared to the same period of the previous year, recording 63,788 units sold. The all-new Santa Fe became the best-selling model in Korea for the second consecutive month, posting 11,837 units sold.

Volkswagen forecasts Nigeria automobile market rebound

Volkswagen AG expects a rebound in vehicle sales in Nigeria as the economy recovers, the head of the company’s South African operations said.

Sales in the West African nation dropped to less than 40 units last year, according to the company. Nigeria was one of several African oil exporters hit hard when crude prices crashed in 2014, but the economy is recovering as oil rebounds.

“Now that the oil price has been recovering hopefully this situation will reverse and we can assemble and see a few hundred cars in the next year or so,” Thomas Schaefer said in an interview at a conference in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.

Volkswagen resumed building cars in Nigeria in 2015, it’s first factory on the continent outside South Africa. The company is set to start producing models including the Polo, Passat and Teramont at an assembly plant in Rwanda next month.

We are “expecting to start with at least 2,000 cars in 2018 alone, but I would love to get to 10,000 cars,” Schaefer said.

While VW is continuously assessing opportunities in countries like Ethiopia, Ghana and Tanzania for expansion, “with these new markets it is a bit of a long shot,” he said.